A safe haven for Somalis in Uganda?

By Gianluca Iazzolino

Key points

There are growing numbers of Somali migrants in Uganda, where a Somali community has existed since colonial times.
Changes in the wider pattern of migration among Somalis in East Africa are driven by pressure on Somali refugees in Kenya and a more favourable legal framework for refugees in Uganda.
Ugandan security forces and Somali community leaders share intelligence to minimize the risk of attacks on Ugandan troops in Somalia and of terrorism in Uganda.
Uganda has emerged as a haven where Somalis can accrue financial, legal and educational assets which facilitate physical and social mobility.
As the Somali community in Uganda has expanded business has grown, and clan-‐ based Somali student unions have emerged where political aspirations are cultivated.